In Jibaku, the majority of the VN is spent without any core conflict, instead filling its screen time with lots of sex, love and flirting. When it comes down to it, the protagonist and the heroine remain merely as static characters throughout the length of the VN, not growing as a result of their relationship. The foundation of their love is not built upon a throne of reality, rather turning it into an idealized rose without thorns. The main conflict comes from an inherent setup from within the relationship and does not reflect any sort of complex or tangible growth for the couple heading towards the future. The removal of a single barrier within their relationship does not constitute any major change, nor does it allow them to further themselves as individuals. As the VN progresses, the protagonist’s main goal becomes one of wanting to find some way to be able to tease his newly found girlfriend without being flustered himself. Once that hill is conquered, there is nothing left for them to grow as individuals, as the way the VN is set up, it is only viable for the short term. Hence, the short run time is used to mask the lack of any development. Outside of the protagonist's inability to tease his girlfriend, everything around these two is a perfect world and therein lies the major flaw with the majority of these types of stories. There are no internal challenges or goals these characters have, nothing to advance themselves as people. In the end, they feel lifeless outside of their relationship.

Icing falls into a similar pitfall. While it is able to give its heroine a distinct voice and make her feel special among a crowd of moenukige heroines, its very short length lends itself to no personal growth at all, instead only showing a small glimpse of the character’s life. And ultimately, length is a major contributor towards the lackluster nature of these stories. While development can be achieved, it is difficult to craft something genuine when it conflicts with h-scenes for a spot on the limited script size. Knowing the core audience is important in choosing what to invest into the script, and for Icing, the appeal of happy flirting and pure love trumps all as the majority of the VN is filled with that. And while it accomplishes those aspects well, it is unable to craft something truly human, as it lacks any sort of human struggle, instead opting for an idealized romance with no goals or challenges for the couple to achieve. Albeit, a lesson in living in the moment and appreciating the smaller details in life is a viable thematic course, there is nothing in Icing to suggest any sort of deeper meaning from that, nor does it explore that idea to the fullest at all. Instead, Icing enraptures itself in a mundane sense of stagnation, freezing the characters in a metaphorical snow globe.

UchiKano’s main struggle is inherent in the relationship itself and when that is solved, all the pieces fall into place, as the perfect love is able to blossom without interference. The initial point of conflict is the entering of the relationship. Much of the early course of the VN is the protagonist mulling over his thoughts and circumstances until he finally makes the leap to confess. The initial hurdle is surpassed and the perfect world is established. Only then, an external problem to their relationship takes shape in the form of the parent’s approval. Again, once the issue is resolved, it goes back to their perfect, static world. The characters are stuck in a vicious cycle where they can not grow as people, instead trapped in a cage where they must remain as they are. For the sake of self-insertion and escapism, the struggles of the mind hit too close to home to readers, as they want some form of escape from their own lives. By removing this barrier entirely, a world is fabricated that allows them to experience a life without any mental barriers or roadblocks, which would serve as reminders of their own lives. Instead, by making the conflicts all external, it makes the struggle of life seem that much easier, when it truly is not.

Finally, Aikotoba is a VN that focuses solely on the inherent problems within the relationship. The only barrier for the characters is getting over the incestual hump and once that is surmounted, there is no more resistance or friction from any opposing force, whether it be external or internal. Once again, that perfect static world is established and an idealized world is built around the characters. There are no goals, challenges or ideals to strive for outside the relationship. Once it is set, a clear unwavering path awaits ahead for the main couple. The equation does not change on either side, there is no addition or subtraction, both characters stay the same throughout the whole run time of the VN, with the only thing that has changed is their relationship status. Thus, these characters do not grow at all, nor do they learn anything from their experiences and use it as the impetus for personal growth. To avoid sounding like a broken record, all the problems evident in all the previous moenukige are present here: A lack of tangible growth, static characters, short run time, the list truly does go on and on.

However, the one VN of this little diversion of mine did show some promise. Amamane presented a story with tangible internal growth for the protagonist as he grows into a better version of himself with his partner by his side as his supporter. The beginning of the VN sets up his initial problem, the fact that he has low self-confidence and has a very difficult time playing in front of other people. Once he meets the main heroine, the protagonist embarks on a journey to improve himself and prove that he is worthy of being a superstar. For the protagonist, there is a goal outside of the relationship, becoming the best baseball player he can be, and for him, his greatest challenge is overcoming his weakened mentality. Here, the relationship takes more or less a backseat, as it presents a story with a more human struggle, something that allows for greater introspection from the reader. Here, the balance between the two elements is done well enough to create a satisfying enough story and provide real character growth. While the h-scenes are a major focus, the writer does not forget about his characters in the more monumental moments of the VN. As the protagonist grows into himself as a baseball player, the reader finds themselves looking at their own lives, and taking a piece of his growth with them.